Proposed Research

We propose to use tritium/helium analyses of groundwater in coastal
settings to help distinguish between two possible sources of groundwater
inputs into coastal waters - surficial and subsurface aquifers.
Our work will focus on groundwater discharges into Onslow Bay, NC
and North Inlet, S.C. Published radium isotope data and preliminary
carbon isotope results from these two study areas show clear evidence
of direct groundwater discharge into North Inlet and into the Intra-Coastal
Waterway in Onslow Bay. However, we have not yet unambiguously identified
the source aquifers for the groundwater discharge at either site.
In particular, at each site the relative contributions from the
surficial (water table) aquifer and from subsurface (confined) aquifers
are unclear. A small number of tritium/helium analyses in each study
area will provide quantitative estimates of the relative contributions
from surficial and deep aquifers. These estimates will make a valuable
contribution to ongoing groundwater carbon isotope work in McCorkle's
lab, and to radium isotope studies by colleagues in North and South
Carolina. Also, by enabling us to demonstrate our ability to generate
and interpret groundwater 3H/3He data in the WHOI Helium Isotope
Lab, this project will make it much easier for WHOI scientists to
write competitive extramural proposals for future groundwater 3H/3He
work.

Daniel McCorkle

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